Princess with a Gun

Chapter 7

"HARRRRY!" A high pitched squeal let out as we walked out of the classroom with Harry still laughing at the tutor's expression. I felt Harry tense which had me both curious and wary. I looked down the hall to see a girl around our age with platinum blonde hair and baby blue eyes. She was dressed in a tennis uniform and was currently hanging all over the Captian of the Guard. "Harry I was just talking with Malic here and telling him how you'd make a great guardsman."

"You did?" Harry spoke with such hope and uncertainty. I smiled at him trying to be reassuring. 

"Yes, and I was telling Veronica here how I have too many guardsmen. "He glared at her as she batted her eyes up at him. "I need someone who could train them properly."

"Roxy can do it," Harry said proudly making me grin at him.

"No," Malic growled out. 

"Yea Harry what if she kills someone." Veronica sneered at me. I had to dig my fingers into Harry's hand to keep from hitting her. She glanced at me and squealed in fright and hid behind the bigger man like I was an out of control dog or something. I ignored her by thinking of the ways I could kill her in her sleep. 

"What she means is the princess could get killed?" Malic spoke like he was trying to convince himself more than me. 

I let out a dark chuckle making Harry look at me in shock. I was pulling into my cold place and I was going fast. "Malic, I not only could train all your people. I could make them want to quit with one days training." He tried to hide how terrified he was of me but I could see the weakness in his eyes. Harry pulled his hand from me not sure where I was going with this. "I've seen you train your people. I've seen where they come and go how they are incompetent. I've seen how you fight you wouldn't last more than five minutes and that's giving you credit." He was a big guy in charge, he had a lot of pride, and he demanded respect. If I pushed the right buttons I knew I could bait him. He went from terrified to enraged pretty quickly in our conversation which just let me know I was getting somewhere. "I would even give you the benefit of going blindfolded, your so out of shape old man I doubt you'd get more than a hit on me." He was shaking with anger while I was smirking in victory.

"Malic don't let this child speak to you like that," Veronica said speaking up for him. Bingo I thought., a little girl under his protection coming to his rescue was just enough to push him over.

"Outside!" His words echoed through the halls. I grabbed Harry's had and wrote Collins in his palm with my finger. He nodded and pulled out his phone as we walked out to the quarreling yard. 

By the time Malic was ready to fight we had gained a crowd. I spotted Collins in the crowd as I borrowed a sash from a guard. I waved Collins into the circle and like a true ringmaster he started. Harry went to give me a kiss on the cheek but I shook my head no to him. I didn't need the distraction, I needed to focus. 

"Silence!" Collins called with hands up turning slowly in the middle. "Today we have a match! Captain of the Guard Malic Rogers going against Princess Roxanne Vargas." They all grinned at me like they knew I was in for a beating. Some of them did look worried for my safety, however. "The rules are simple; No maiming, no killing, and no weapons!" Collins walked towards me. "Our dear Princess was gracious enough to be blindfolded for this event!"  He grabbed the cloth from my hands. "We do ask for your silence during this match!" I stayed still waiting as Collins wrapped the sash around my eyes careful to not cover my ears or nose. I heard him walk away. "Are you ready?" There was a grunt. "Are you ready Roxanne?" I nodded listening for Malics breathing.

I heard the inhale of breathes followed by the thumping of running feet. I waited, holding my hands behind my back and ducked towards the left keeping my right foot out. I felt our shins connect as he tumbled forward. Not giving him a chance I struck my hand out slamming my left hand into the back of his head propelling him further forwards. He was a big man I need to use his momentum against him. I could feel the dust rise up as he fell. I gathered myself getting ready for another attack. I heard steps and let out a breathe to hear it echo back as he swung at my face. I ducked under and followed his arm to strike him in the stomach. I could hear the wind being knocked out of him. I quickly spun to do a dropkick but was met with air meaning I lost him. I crouched trying to listen for him over the hush of the whispering crowd.